This morning we were supposed to go to a horse ranch today and RIDE! but it rained all night and made a muck of the ranch. I didn't sleep well and the 8am phone call to cancel riding woke me up. So we had school- 9-10:30, then break for recess. We have another two hours session after recess, before lunch and afternoon classes of PE and Art (crafts).
Today it was wet but not raining so the children all played outside. This group of 2nd-8th all play very well together- lots of variations of tag, some stilt walking, some climbing, oops- "No, you cannot climb the tetherball poles!"
Usually, when I have time before going to the classroom, I head from my little casita to the office area. I can only print in color there. This is my process: lock my door AND remember the key- this one's tough, I never lock my house at home; walk on the sidewalk under the fruited (but not ripe!) pomegranate trees! and head across the common greens for the office.
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| This is a jade plant in bloom! |
Past the communal laundry, down a couple of small set of concrete and stone stairs and through a metal gate. Everything is gated here. Security is not as necessary as it was twenty years ago but no one is forgetting the threats from that time.
Gates have keys, doors have keys, some keys are kept inside locked doors.... arghh! I unlock the "key room" door, retrieve the "office key" for the room with copiers and relock the key room. Walk to said office and unlock it. Oops- the copier wants bigger paper before it will print and I need to resend the print job. Next time bring computer!
Return keys and relock doors, return home, unlock my door, get computer, return to office area and repeat. It becomes a bit of a joke- one key opens all the exterior gates to get off the center and into the school yard, - directly across the dirt road. It is the Puerto Primario key- Primary Gate, in English. Nicely engraved with PP- and referred to regularly as the PP key. "The gate's locked. Do you have your PP key?" Followed by giggles- clearly we are suited to dealing with silly children.
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| Must have a guard on duty- no keys necessary right now. Hurrah! |
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| A rare rainblow on the walk to the church. |
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| Lots of rain means it's really green here right now. |
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| The town square is being rebuilt but the lovely city office building stands strong. |
The fuss with the keys is a minor complaint in a place I have very little to complain about. My casita is comfortable (and filling up with beautiful hand-woven textiles and inexpensive goodies for gifts). I love walking into town for the market. Today we're going to the Aztec ruins a half a mile away to see the church built on the same grounds and tour the ruins. Afterward, we'll do some more mandatory shopping- supporting the local economy when there are few tourists.
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| This is where you buy your cowboy gear |
And I have four lovely children to teach that make this all worthwhile. But that's a blog for next time!
That shot of the jade plant is frame-able.....stunning!
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